Railway-car and body-bolster therefor.



No. 780,766', *u PATENTED JAN. 24, 1905.

S. OTIS.

RAILWAY GAR AND BODY BOLSTER THEREFOR. APPLICATION FILED ooT.1,19o3

| um! [l IIIIi um mn E l I Nn- :IA I I I i A l l Patented January 24,1905.

PATENT Orricn,

SPENCER OTIS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RAILWAY-CAR AND BODY-BOLSTER THEREFOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.-780,'766, dated January24, 1905.

Application le October I, 1903. Serial No. 17:5,283- Y To all whom itmay con/cern:

Be it known that I, SPENCER Oris, of Chicago, Illinois, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Cars and Body-BolstersTherefor, of which the follo\ iing is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of bodybolsters having upper andlower metallic members provided with a centrally-disposed strut, suchupper and lower members forming a space therebetween adapted to receivethe longitudinal center sills or' a ear.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a railway-car havinga simple, economical, and efficient body-bolster.

A further object of the invention is to provide a short body-bolsterwhich supports the centrally-disposed longitudinal sills, but is out ofeng'agement with the side trames and side sills. forming a space betweenthe ends ofl 1the bolster and such side frame-s and side si s.

A further object of the invention is to provide a body-bolster forrailway-cars adapted to inclose the longitudinal centrally-disposedsills of the car-frame and support them, and thereby the transversebeams mounted thereon, such bolster being of a less length than thetransverse beams, whereby the bolsters may be mounted at any desiredpoint independently of the position ot' the transverse beams and form anetlicient support for the longitudinal sills and the transverse beamsresting thereon. This arrangement also accomplishes the further objectof providing a suiiicient space between the ends of such bolsters andthe side frames and side sills to permit dumping-doors to extend, itdesired, over the ends of the bolsters and be raised and lowered intodumping position between the ends ot' the bolsters and the side sills orside frames.

A further object of the invention is to provide a short bolster adaptedto have longitudinal center sills of the car mounted therein, transversebeams mounted on such sills, and side frames mounted upon such beams andsupported thereby, the ends ot' the bolster being at a distance from theside sills and side frames, whereby sufficient space is provided betweenthe ends of the bolster and the side sills and side frames to permit thedumping of the load and eiiicient operation of the'dumping-doors betweensuch parts.

Other and further objects of the invention will appear from anexamination ot' the drawings andthe following description and claims.

rlhe invention consists in the features, combinations, and details ofconstruction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanyingdrawings, Figure l is a cross-sectional elevation ofa car provided with my impro ved bolster; Fig. 2, a plan view of thebolster, showing the upper side of the lower compression member and aportion of the center strut on one side and the upper tension member onthe opposite side; and Fig. 3, a bottom plan view of the bolster,showing the integral longitudinal ribs and central bearing upon thelower compression member.

In constructing a body-bolster and car-frame in accordance with myimprovements I provide a body-bolster comprising an upper metallic barforming an upper tension member a, a lower metallic bar forming a lowercompression member and a central strut 0, which I prefer to makeintegral with the lower compression member. The upper end of the strutis provided with side flanges d, between which is mounted the uppertension member which extends downward and outward at an inclinetherefrom to the opposite ends of the lower compression member, to whichit is connected by means ot' bolts e or in any ordinary and well-knownmanner. Shoulders f are provided upon the upper side of the uppertension member, having suitable pockets g, in which are mounted sidetruss-rods t. These shoulders may be made integral with the uppertension member or attached. thereto by means of bolts c'. The lowercompression member is provided with integral longitudinal ribs y', whichare cambered or tapered from the center toward the outer ends otl suchlower member, and a central bearing 7n is also provided integraltherewitlnthe purposes of which are well known to those skilled in theart. Side bearings 7c are provided at the eXtreme lends of the bolster,and preferably integral with the lower member thereof, and the bolsterextends only to such side bearings and not to the side frames, thusleaving the desired space between the ends of the bolster and the sideframes. The lower tension member is also provided with substantiallytriangular end shoulder portions at each end comprising upper inclinedlianged portions Z, integral web portions m, and inner vertical flangeportions n, together forming suitable shoulders for strengthening thebolster, and against which the outer central longitudinal sills c aremounted. The central strut above mentioned comprises outer perpendicularwalls p, connected at the upper end by the upper wall q, which isprovided with suitable pockets r, in which are mounted the centraltruss-rods s of the car, the inner walls t and central web portion userving, in connection with the transverse ribs c, to provide thenecessary rigidity and strength to such strut. The outer surface of theside walls of the strut engage center sills w of the car-frame and inconnection with the inner surfaces of the end shoulders form suitablepockets for holding such longitudinal sills and bolsters in rigidengagement with each other, so as to form a suitable support for thetransverse beams and other parts of the car-frame. Transverse beams yare mounted upon theupper sides of these longitudinal sills, and sideframes comprising side sills 2 and end frames 3, which may be of anyordinary and well-known type, are mounted upon such transverse beams andsupported thereon and thereby. Suitable bottom portions (not shown) areprovided and mounted on the car-frame in any desired and well-knownmanner.

By this arrangement it will be readily understood that a body-bolstermechanism is provided which is of less length than the transverse beamsof the car-frame and having both ends entirely out of engagement withthe side frames or side sills, so as to provide a suflicient spacebetween the ends of such bolster mechanism and the side frames or sidesills offthe carto allow the load to be dumped and, if desired, permitthe dumping-doors to eX- tend over the ends of such bolster and to bereadily moved to their upper closed. or lower open position withoutbeing interfered with by the bolster. The bolster at the same timefurnishes an efficient support for the longitudinal sills and car-frameresting thereon and is adapted to be placed in any desired positionalong such longitudinal sills independently of the position of thetransverse beams. It will also be readily understood that thisarrangement of the upper tension member and lower compression memberwith the central strut therebetween-the upper member being mounted at anincline outward and downward from the center toward the ends of thebolster, so as to form a substantially A-shaped or triangular bolster inlongitudinal section-produces a construction of great rigidity andstrength and one which is well adapted to perform the functionsrequired.

I claiml. In a body-bolster for railway-cars, the combination with a carhaving side frames, of a bolster havinga lower member provided with anupwardly-extending central strut, an upper member mounted in engagementwith-such central strut and connected with the lower member forming aspace therebetween for receiving the centrally-disposed longitudinalsills of the car, the bolster being of less length than the distancebetween the side frames of the carin connection with which it is usedand providing a space betweenits ends and such side frames,substantially as described.

2. In a bolster for railway-cars, the combination of a lower memberprovided with an upwardly-extending central strut, and an upper membermounted in engagement with the upper end of such central strut andextending outward and downward at an incline from the top of the strutto the ends of the lower member and forming a space between such upperand lower members for receiving the centrally-disposed longitudinalsillsof the car therebetween, substantially as described.

3. In a body-bolster for railway-cars, the combination with a car havingside frames, of a bolster having a lower member provided with anintegral upwardly-extending central strut, and an upper member mountedupon and in engagement with the upper end of such strut and connected tothe lower member forming a space between such upper and lower membersfor receiving the centrally-disposed longitudinal sills of the cartherebetween, the bolster being of less length than the distance betweenthe side frames of the car and providing a space between its ends andsuch side frames for permitting the movement of dumping-doors betweenthe end of such bolster and *the side frames, substantially asdescribed.

4. In a body-bolster for railway-cars, 'the combination with a carhaving side frames, of a bolster having a lower member provided with anintegral upwardly-extending central strut and having integral endshoulders at each end of such bolster forming pockets in the upper faceof such lower member between such shoulders and the central strut forre. ceiving longitudinal sills of the car, and an upper member mountedupon and in engagement with the upper end of such central strut andextending over such'pockets downward and outward at an incline from thetop of the strut to the ends of the lower member, the bolster being ofless length than the distance between the side frames of the car andproviding a space between its ends and such side frames for permittingthe movement of dumping-doors between the ends of such bolster IOO IIO

and the side frames, substantially as described.

5. In a body-bolster for railway-cars, the combination of a lower memberprovided with an integral central strut and integral upwardly-extendingend shoulders, and an upper member formed of a single fiat metallicstrap mounted upon and in engagement with the upper end of such centralstrut and extending outward and downward at an incline from the top ofthe strut to the ends of the lower member and rigidly connected theretoforming a space between such upper and lower members for receiving thecentrallydisposed longitudinal sills of the ear therebetween,substantially as described.

6. In a body-bolster for railway-cars, the combination oi' a lowermember provided with an integral upwardly-extending central strut havingpockets therein for receiving the center truss-rods of a car, and anupper tension member mounted in engagement with such central strutextending outward and downward at an incline from the top of the strutto the ends oi' the lower member and provided with pockets for receivingthe side truss-rods of the car and forming a space between such upperand lower members for receiving' the centrally disposed longitudinalsills of the car therebetween, substantially as described.

7. In a body-bolster for railway-cars, the combination of a lower memberprovided with an upwardly-extending central strut having integral endshoulder portions, an upper tension member mounted upon such centralstrut and extending downward and outward at an incline in engagementwith the ends of the lower member and forming a space between such upperand lower members for receiving the centrally-disposed longitudinalsills of a car` such bolsterbeing provided with pockets for receivingthe truss-rods of the car, substantially as described.

8. In a body-bolster for railway-cars, the combination of a lower memberupon which the centrally-disposed longitudinal sills of the car aremounted provided with a central strut extending upwardly between suchlongitudinal sills, an upper member resting upon such strut extendingover the longitudinal sills and connected to the lower member,transverse beams mounted upon such longitudinal sills, and side framescomprising side sills mounted upon such transverse beams, the ends ofthe bolster being out of engagement with the side sills and forming aspace therebetween, substantially as described.

9. In a body-bolster for railway-cars, the combination of alower memberprovided with an integral upwardly-extending central strut and havingcenter and side bearings, and an upper member mounted upon and inengagement with the upper end of such strut extending downward andoutward therefrom in a substantially direct line toward the sidebearings and connected to the lower member forming a space between suchupper and lower members for receiving the longitudinal sills of a cartherebetween, such bolster extending to but not beyond the outside ofthe side bearings, and providing a space between its ends and the sideframes of the car for permitting' the movement of dumping-doors betweenits ends and such side frames, substantially as described.

10. In a body-bolster for railway-ears, the combination of a lowercompression member provided with an upwardly-extendingcentrally-disposed strut and having integral center and side bearings.and integral longitudinal ribs upon its under side and upwardlyextendingintegral end shoulders over the side bearings, and an upper tensionmember mounted and in engagement with the upper end of such strut andconnected to the lower member forming a space between such upper andlower members for receiving the longitudinal sills of a cartherebetween, the bolster being of a length equal to the distance fromoutside to outside of the side bearings, and providing a space betweenits ends and the side frames of the car for permitting the movement ofdumping-doors between its ends and 'such side frames, substantially asdescribed.

11. In a bolster for railway-cars, the combination of a lower memberprovided with an integral upwardly-extending central strut and integralupwardly-extending end shoulders and having integral center and sidebearings upon its lower side, and an upper member mounted upon suchstrut and connected to the lower member forming a space between suchupper and lower members for receiving longitudinal sills of a cartherebetween, the bolster extending to but not beyond the outside oftheside bearings, substantially as described.

SPENCER OTIS.

Witnesses:

HARRY I CROMER, MAUDE DARNELL.

IOO

